Diana's Odyssey
by Rowanshark
Summary: This is my version of how Diana broke free of her oppressive tribe, and how she rose to power in the League. Also, this tale does not conform 100% to the names or the existence of several characters in the actual LoL lore. Just a warning.
1. Chapter 1

I walk alone through the silent forest. My footfalls make almost no sound on the thick carpet of leaves and pine needles. The moon is full tonight, and its pale light casts a beautiful glow over the trees. There is no sound whatsoever, and as I make my way towards the familiar clearing, it feels as though even the bushes are holding their breath. I can catch glimpses of the massive oak tree through the brush. Its power never ceases to amaze me. I creep up to the bushes surrounding the clearing, and plant my weapon in the earth with a muted *thunk!* I then push aside the underbrush and make my way towards the oak. As I approach, the symbols carved into its trunk begin to glow with eerie light. I look at my hands; they are glowing with the moons power.

I reach up to the crescent symbol on the trunk. There is a small circle carved within the crescent, and I place my two index fingers inside it. Then, I spread the rest of my fingers out as wide as I can. And I begin to sing. The haunting melody has no words, only a longing passion to be released I can feel myself being lifted up by the moons light and energy, and I let my hands fall to my sides. But I continue to sing. As my song draws to a close, I can feel the energy ramping up. I know what happens next.

There is a blinding flash and loud *CRACK!* I shut my eyes tight and draw myself in. I am still being held aloft by the light. I can't open my eyes yet, for fear of being blinded, but I can hear a dull roar around me, not unlike a rushing river. It is the sound of the huge oak tree, turning all its leaves to the sky. I see the light beginning to recede behind my eyelids, and my heart begins to beat faster. They are coming. I open my eyes to see a magnificent sight which still takes my breath away. A massive column of light is racing up towards to sky. As I watch, it collides with the moon, sending out a thick, white wave of light. It pushes off of the moon in a band, than begins to curl down. It is now coming back towards the earth. Then the ends draw together and split off into two strips. They fly down through the sky in a beautiful embrace, twisting around and crossing through each other. Then, abruptly, they slow down. Now hovering above the ground by about 4 feet, they begin to solidify. I am set down gently, back on my feet. But my legs are shaky, and my heart feels like an overflowing dam.

The lights recede back into the sky, and two figures are left in their place. At first, they only look like twin clouds of white smoke, hovering side by side. Then, the blobs take shape. They begin to create human forms. One takes the shape of a big, well-defined man. His gray hair is held back in a short, practical ponytail. There is a rough, salt and pepper shadow across his jaw. He has broad, powerful shoulders, and is well above 6 feet tall. The other form, a woman, is slight. She has long, brown hair which falls almost to her waist. She is not as tall, reaching only to the mans chest. Her frame is slim, with long, slender legs and acute angles. Her face is foxy, her eyes are aware of everything. They are the moon elders.

"Hello, Diana." The man spoke in a low, smooth voice that sounded like chocolate milk. I felt my heart flutter, and I bowed low to the ground.

"Hello." I responded. When I rose again, I could see the pair holding back smiles. I was holding the urge as well. "We have much to discuss."

"Indeed we do," responded the woman, her voice faltering. We look at each other for a moment. Then I drop all pretense of formality and run toward them. They welcome me with open arms and envelope me in a warm, loving hug.

"Oh, how I have missed you two," I manage to get out in to muffling bodies.

"We have missed you as well, child." They respond in unison.

I step back, but keep my arms on their shoulders, grinning uncontrollably. These two have been me and my mother's soul voices of reason through the past years. A pang of despair strikes my heart at the thought of my mother, quickly followed by hatred. The pair across from me must have sensed my anger, for they frown and hold me closer.

"What is troubling you, Diana?" Asks the woman, Leona.

"Have you not heard the… news?" I ask her, my voice quivering. It has been over a year since I contacted them last, and information travels slower when you live on the moon. "My mother, sh- she was murdered." I say the last word with my face cast down, my voice low.

The pair is silent. Leona looks stunned, and Dane simply stares. His jaw is hanging open, his arms slung limp at his side.

"H-h-… how?" Dane chokes out.

"The Solari… Her own people! How could they?" I wail. Then my knees go weak, and I collapse. The last thing I see before the tears block out my vision is Dane and Leona reaching down to hold me.

I don't know how long I lie here, but by the time I have sobbed myself dry, the dawn is reaching up o scorch the corners of the sky. I look up through Leona and Danes cradling embrace to see the bright orange tendrils stretch out. I know they must leave soon, before the sun rends them from the earth. They are entities of the moon, and the sun looks upon them with great disdain.

"Do not fret any longer, Diana," Leona whispers to me. "There is a storm coming, but you can survive it. Then you will see your mother again. But we must leave you. The sun is rising. Goodbye, Diana."

Leona gently picks me up and sets me on my feet. I look into her icy, gray eyes and feel a sense of warmth. Dane touches my shoulder.

"Diana, you have a great odyssey ahead of you. But you must be strong. There will be peace when you are done. And no matter how tough things get for you, always remember the moon. It will guide you through times of stress and trouble. And always keep your mother alive, inside your heart."

With one parting embrace, the pair looks to the oak. They walk toward it without looking back and each place their right hands on the trunk. They turn to gray smoke and float into the tree. Then there is a blinding flash and they are gone. I look down to see a flattened patch of grass where we lay. I step over it and walk back toward the edge of the clearing. I feel completely worn out, as if I had just run for miles. But I also feel complete. The belief that I will again see my mother has but me into an almost euphoric state, the best I have felt in weeks. I knew it was the right choice to see the moon elders.


	2. Chapter 2

I move across the clearing and into the forest, picking up my sword as I go. I don't appreciate this weapon; it is slow and adorned with symbols of the sun. I know I could be more affective with a two-handed weapon, with a curved blade. I'll have to see what I can do about that. For now, though, I must get back to Targons peak. That is my home. Although, I hate to call it home. The inhabitants of Targons peak worship the sun. Except my mother. She was the one who planted the seed of doubt in my mind, and to this day I have questioned the ways of the sun. But the Solari elders have only punished me for speaking out. I have tried to find evidence of the moons power; I thought that if I could show them, they would believe me, or at least acknowledge me! But they have not. I worshipped the moon in secret. Then, one night, I was visited by two people. They were Dane and Leona. This event cemented my belief in the moons power.

I come to the edge of the forest and step out. It's beginning to become light in the field just outside the trees, and I can see the tall grass swaying in the faint breeze. I spot my horse, tethered to a sapling several yards away. I mount up and kick her into a gallop. The wind blows my long, silver out over my back, and the horse's loud footfalls shatter the peace in the cold morning air. I can see the mountain of Targon rising up in the distance, its snowy peak scraping the sky. I spur the horse on even faster, wanting to feel the exhilaration of speed coursing through my numb bones. I stand in the saddle. The wind blasts my face and bites at my cheeks, but I continue to push the horse. I spot a fallen tree up ahead, and steer the steed toward it. We blast up to it and the horse gives a mighty kick. We soar into the air. While in flight, time seems to stop. The horses echoing footfalls cease, and my breathing falters. I feel my heart skip a beat in my chest. We are weightless. Then the horse's hooves make contact with the ground and the illusion is shattered.

We thunder along, exhilarated from our short flight. Targon looms high above me now. I didn't realize we were that close. I begin to reign in the horse and slow us down. I spot the entrance to the path which cuts up and across the mountain, leading to the cave at the peak. This is where the Solari live. We are a small tribe, with little influence in the world. Most of the members live in seclusion, high in the mountain, but there is a specially selected group of people who have contact with the rest of Valoran. They are the elders. They maintain our relationships with the rest of Valoran and the League. There is also a special group of warriors who belong to our tribe, and they reside with the elders. I once belonged to this group, but I was removed. Another reason to hate the Solari.

I cross the threshold of the path at a quick canter and begin to head up Targon. The path is familiar to me, and to my horse. I barley have to do anything to keep her on the trail. I look out over the field, and I can see the forest stretching into the distance. The end is obscured by the early morning mist. But the sun is rising fast. Soon the mist will be gone and I will be able to see all the way to the Freljord. I urge my horse on, though she is panting from exhilaration. I am nearing the top of the mountain now, and the fauna is turning bleak. The grass is sparse, and lichen clings to the rocks. The trees are all barren, except the occasional evergreen.

I near the entrance to the cave and dismount my horse. The path flattens out into a small, level clearing, with wooden fences to one side. These blocks off the thousand feet drop down a sheer cliff to the ground. The mountains peak is still a good six hundred feet up, looming above. The cave of the Solari is huge. The entrance is about thirty feet high, and it extends so far into the mountain that I can't see the back in this light. But, when the sun is up and the fog is cleared, the light will shine directly into the mouth. I can hear voices bouncing out, ringing through the crisp mountain air. I step over the threshold of the cave, and all becomes silent. I hold my head high and walk through the cave, hearing disdainful whispers from the sides. The houses of the people are simple alcoves, carved into the stone by hand power alone, so every word can be heard. But not as I walk down the aisle. I am sure that their whispers are derogatory, so I simply head to my modest space. I can actually hear my footsteps echoing off the walls, bouncing back to my ears off the craggy rock. I see the entrance to my home and make a beeline for it. Just as I step into it, I notice something is wrong. The hushed voices and ridiculing stares is normal for my arrival.

I look around my space to see everything is gone. My bed, my little wooden cabinet with keepsakes from my mother, even the small rug. Confused, I venture further into the room. There was a stove in the corner, but now there is only a black spot where the ashes had fallen from the firebox. "Why did this happen?" I wonder aloud. I am surprised to hear my voice quiver. I had only a few worldly possessions, but they where all here. Every object that reminded me of my mother. It was all gone.

"We hope you enjoyed your journey last night." A voice rings out from the entryway. Surprised, I whirl around and lash out, flinging my sword like a dagger. The person in the doorway sidestep the blade, and it embeds itself in the rock next to his head. I assume it's a he because the voice is distinctly masculine. "Now now, Diana. Don't go trying to kill your elders." The man scolded me, with a demonic inflection to his tone. Suddenly, it dawns upon me who the stranger is. It is Genj, the leader of the Solari. He is the most revered elder in our clan, and the greatest warrior. It would not do to go attacking him.

I drop to my knees and bow my head to the ground immediately. "Genj! I am so sorry, I did not know it was you. It is lucky that you are such a skilled fighter, or I would have killed you. Again, forgive my brash action; for you startled me."

"_You, _are lucky, Diana. Had that blade struck me, I would have killed you on the spot. As we stand currently, I am debating weather or not to kill you at all. You have absolutely disgraced our name with your little excursion last night. Every person in Valoran saw that spectacle with the moon. The moon, Diana! Have you still not recognized the suns dominance, even after the execution of your mother?!"

Genj's words strike home, and I rise. My breaths come hot and heavy. "How dare you speak of my mother, yo- you monster!" My voice rises to fever pitch, and I swell up to my fullest height. I see Genj ready himself as well. "The moon rises as well! My mother knew this! You Solari cretins will feel the moons wrath! I will have my vengeance!"

At this, I can see Genj's resolve falter. His eyes flicker around the room, searching for something. I am not sure what, but it makes him look nervous. I pay it no heed. Suddenly, I have an idea. It is ridiculous to think like this, but I want to destroy Genj. He slew my mother, so he in turn will be slain. My pulse ratchets up, and I can feel my face becoming flush. I raise my hand above my head, then look up to the ceiling. Then a strange thing happens. I see Genj begin to back up, out of the room. Briefly, I wonder why, but the thought is pushed aside by the thrill of the hunt. I can see my hands begin to glow above my head, and wonder what is happening. Then, quite suddenly, the room is ablaze in scorching white light, radiating from my hand. I see terror in Genj's eyes, and relish in it. I can feel the power radiating from my hands, and I allow it to spread down my torso to my legs. I crouch down, preparing for the kill as Genj turns to flee. The act is futile. With inhuman speed, I blast across the room, leaving a trail of dust swirling behind me. I smash into Genj with my shoulder with the force of an avalanche. My last look at him is his eyes wrought with pure dread, and he screams out in earsplitting agony. He flies across the cave, slamming into the opposite wall with a sickening crunch. His limp, lifeless body falls to the ground with a thump.

The powerful essence begins to slip out of my body, and I can see it float away into the cave. I look down at my hands to see the white cloud flowing from my fingers. As I watch it leave, I can feel my body growing weaker. I look up at the shocked faces of the Solari, looking on in awe of my lunar onslaught. Then the first person screams. I fall to my knees, and my vision becomes slightly blurry. But I can see the panicked escape of my former clan. The cave plays a cruel trick on me, and I suddenly find myself on the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

When I awake, I am still in the cave. That's a surprise. I thought they would execute me here on the cold, unforgiving floor. Come to think of it, the floor is really beginning to hurt. I try to sit up, but a flash of pain shoots through my back. This will take a while. I begin to flex out my muscles, slowly and one-by-one, until I can move each limb without pain. Then, I focus on getting myself into an upright position. I push up with my left arm, but the pain forces me back down. I roll onto my back and flex a little. That's good. I slowly sit up, an inch at a time. When I am mostly vertical, it becomes much easier to maneuver. I have little trouble standing. Once up, I can feel how truly worn down and beaten my body is. But I can't stay here. The might of the Solari could descend on me from above at any moment. I try to walk to the entrance of the cave, but my muscles are weak and I fall to my knees. I rise again, using the wall for support. This time I make it to the mouth of the cave. But my progress ends there. I bump into rock. I look up to see what had kept me alive all this time: a massive rock pile. It completely blocked the entryway. My heart dropped at the sight of it. I was trapped.

Looking at the pile, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what had caused it. I could have wrought it from the ceiling in a passed out fit, or there was lunar intervention. The moon had certainly helped me defeat Genj. Perhaps the moon trapped me here to save me. It could take days for the Solari to blast through the rocks. I had plenty of food and water, because the inhabitants of the houses had fled so quickly.

I turned to walk back to my home when I felt the first tremor. The Solari where trying to blast their way into the cave. I began to panic. If they caught me in here, in this weakened state, I would be dead meat. I had to come up with a plan. Slowing my heart rate down, I sat on a bed in someone's house. I needed to think. Could I simply rush the Solari as soon as they cleared the hole? No, I would be cinders before I could reach the stable. I would be dealing with some of the most powerful fire mages in the world. I looked to the pile of rubble again to see a large boulder crash down from the top of the pile. I was running out of time. I desperately cast around for something to aid in my escape. Suddenly, my eyes fall upon Genj, and a crazy, but perfect idea strikes me. Genj's hair is the same color as mine.

I quickly run over to Genj's body and strip off my clothes. I then take Genj's clothes from his body and put them on. I hide Genj's naked form and my clothes in a nearby home. I pick up the knife again, and with a quick shudder, begin to lop off my hair. Once it is approximately the same length and Genj's haircut, I head to the stove of the home. I take out some of the ashes and smear then lightly on my face. Then I take a roll of bandages and tightly bind my breasts flat under my shirt. I catch my reflection in a shard of glass on the counter, and smile. I am close to unrecognizable, and in Genj's clothes, no one will look too closely. The tremors from the mouth of the cave worsen; and I can begin to hear voices from the outside. Just in time, I fling myself down where I found Genj.

Just as I hit the ground and stop moving, there is a might blast from outside. The Solari have broken through the pile of rubble. I lie absolutely still, and slow my breathing to almost nonexistent. I can do that, since I was trained to hold my breath underwater for up to 8 minutes at a time. I hear the voices of the Solari commanders ring out, and I try to slow my breathing even further. They are systematically searching the cave, and it is only a matter of time before they find me. But they will not know it's me, hopefully.

Suddenly, one of the commanders spots me. "Over there! It's Genj!" I smile secretly to myself, knowing that my plan has worked. The commander runs over and scoops me up, not taking the time to examine my face too closely. Some other men run over to aid him, and together they carry me out into the open. One man has my legs, while two others grab under my arms. I don't know why they do this, maybe it's just the heat of the moment. They lay me down on the ground and huddle around me. One of them slaps my face a few times while shouting, "Genj! Genj, wake up!" I stop breathing, although my heart feels like it is going to pop out of my chest.

I know I need to act fast or the opportunity will be lost. The men are looking at each other, not sure of what to do, when I strike. I lash out with my right leg and connect solidly with the man's jaw. I see him crumple to the ground in a heap, just before I use the momentum to launch myself up. I pull my left leg up under me and spin on the ball of my foot, landing to face the commander. His eyes are registering only shock, for just a moment ago I was his beloved leader. I swiftly uppercut him in the throat, and he falls just like his comrade, gasping for air. The third man leaps up into a fighting position, having had the time to gather his wits. I square off to him, keeping my shoulders aligned with his. The man tries to strike out, but I deftly block the low with my left hand, then flip my palm onto his wrist and yank him toward me. The move catches him off guard, and he trips over himself. I knee him hard in the groin, and as he falls, I smash the back of his head down with my palm. He goes down hard.

I quickly head to the stable, head down, hoping no one has seen me take out those men. I saddle my horse quickly and quietly and hop on. I blast out of the stable at full tilt, but I look to my left to behold the chaos. The three men have been discovered by everyone else, and as I ride by, one man looks up. We make eye contact. The man gives me a very subtle grin, winks, and looks back down. He doesn't alert anyone. The strange thing is, I've never seen this man before. Confused, I race towards the path. My horse's footfalls have alerted the other guards, and they run into the stable. With one last glance at the man who noticed me, I fly down the path.

The guards who got horses burst out of the stable and follow me in my erratic flight. They scream along, not very close behind but gaining slowly. They are very experienced riders; I have only ridden my horse for fun. I quickly gain speed down the steep path, and I clutch the horse's mane with one hand. The other is occupied trying to steer the horse. I am scared to death that the horse will trip over its feet and fling me to certain death down the mountain. The wind is another issue. It's blowing so hard I think that I might be lifted off the horse and flung up the hill. My hair is swept out of my face, and I can't hear anything, not even the horse. My breathing comes fast and shallow, and my heart punches my rib cage unrelentlessly. I risk a quick glance over my shoulder to see the other riders gaining on me. I whip my head forward again and hunker down. All I can do now is hang on.

The end of the mountain is racing up to meet me, and I realize that I might be going too fast to even out smoothly. The horse realizes this, and starts to slow down. But we don't slow down enough. The flat ground rises up and we crash into it. The horse sticks out its legs to absorb the impact, but the maneuver costs the hose its life. Its knees snap, and its shin bones shoot up over its legs. Blood splashes out, spraying from the ripped skin and tissue. The horse bellows and crashes to the ground, still travelling very fast. I am thrown into the air, and I fly for a good five seconds before slamming into the earth, twenty feet away. The impact knocks the wind out of me, and I see stars. I lie on my belly gasping for air. My chest screams at me; I might have broken a rib or two. I know I have to recover enough to get hidden, for the other riders will have seen my mistake and taken precautions to avoid it. I struggle breathlessly to my feet to see an awful sight: My horse was impaled. Its own shins had stuck right through its chest and neck, puncturing its heart. I shudder at the sight. There is a small lake of blood forming around the horse, soaking the grass. I stagger over to a nearby bush and collapse in it. I can still see black spots and lines at the edges of my vision, and my breathing is rasping and shallow. I pull my knees up to my chest and wait there, in the bush for the riders to find me.

I don't know how long I wait in the bush, but it feels like years. My breathing begins to even out, and I the intense burning in my chest has turned into a dull throb. I risk a peek out of the bush, but instantly jerk my head back in. The riders are circled up around my horse. I can't hear what they're saying, but from the look of things, they are likely exclaiming about what an unlikely fate has befallen my horse.

I risk another peek out. The other riders have moved on from my mangled horse and are beginning to sweep out over the field. I pull myself in even further. My vision is starting to fade out around the edges again, due to lack of oxygen. If I have to stay like this any longer, I will pass out. I force my knees out of my chest a little, and make myself take a deep breath. I can't hear the riders yet, so they probably can't hear me breathing.

I'm wrong.

Suddenly, a rough hand slams down around the back of my neck, and I can feel myself being dragged up, straight through the bush. My attacker rends me from the branches and throws me down onto my back. The air is knocked clean out of my lungs, and there is a flash of white in my vision. I lie on my back, staring up at the darkening sky, gasping for breath. I see a huge man loom over me. I believe I have met him before. His name is Sergei. He was one of the fiercest bruisers in the clan. I'm in trouble. I roll away from him, just as him massive foot shatters the air right next to where my head was. This party is not here to reason.

I scramble to my feet, but I immediately stagger to my right. I am still shaky on my feet after my fall. I see Sergei leaning in to charge me, so I continue to stagger around. But by this time, I have my balance and some of breath back, so the stagger is just a façade. I look at Sergei, and I see the wicked glint in his eyes. His intent is to kill me, at any cost. Then he begins his charge. I fake continuing to my right, hoping to lead him in that direction. Then at the last second, I throw myself down to my left and roll. I'm not so lucky, though, and Sergei's fist catches my floating rib. I hear a crack, and there is a horrible pain in my side. I cry out, but stop myself from falling. I see Sergei stopping himself, and take my chance. I sprint up behind him and leap up onto his massive shoulders. I wrap my arms around his neck and yank, hard. I feel my arms dig into his Adam's apple, and I hear him let out a little gasp. Suddenly, he drives his elbow into my rib cage. My already snapped rib screams at me, but I hold on. Sergei staggers around like a drunken man, trying to smash my chest to pulp, but I can shift my weight enough that his blows strike only air. I feel his breath rasping up his throat, but I don't let go. Finally, he stumbles over a tough bramble and crashes to the ground. I spring free, but don't have the poise to land on my feet. Instead, I throw my arms out to break the fall, but end up landing hard on my stomach anyway. Everything goes black.

I drag myself back to reality quickly though, and hoist my abused body to my feet. My right side screams in agony, but I know I can't stay here. There are the other riders to worry about. I look frantically around, expecting an attack to come from anywhere. I am not jump on though. I guess the others left Sergei to take care of me. I shuffle off towards the forest, hoping to find a little knoll to sleep in. The progress is slow, thanks to my rib, but I do eventually reach the tree line. Immediately, I spot a little ditch to lie in. I set myself down gingerly, testing my position before committing my weight. I lie sleepless for a while. The pain has lowered from a sharp stabbing to a dull throb. I finally drift of to fitful sleep.


End file.
